Automatic safety firing valve



Pit-$5017 IEGWM IYG March 29, 1938.

GOVERNOR F. R. RICHARD 2,112,410

AUTOMATIC SAFETY FIRING VALVE B fi ggii w A llomeys March 29, 1938.

F. R. RICHARD AUTOMATIC SAFETY FIRING VALVE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 8, 1956 Inventor IJZJZZZfi ard By a? L g Attorney! March 29,1933. FRRICHARD- 2,112,410 v AUTOMATIC SAFETY FIRING VALVE Filed Jan. 8, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet z [nvenlor gmom m 5 A llorncy;

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE AUTOMATIGSAFETY FIRING VALVE Francis R. Richard, Marshall, T'ex.

Application January 8, 1936, Serial No. 58,214

2 Claims.

This invention relates to safety valves and more particularly the invention resides in the provision of an automatic safety firing valve designed to supplement the present arrangement for firing boilers with oil, gas or any combustible material that may be conducted by piping.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for controlling the boiler pressure by -controlling the fire and thus avoid any unnecessary release ofsteam through the usual safety valve.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a self contained unitary apparatus, which may be used without interfering with present .manually operated firing arrangement for boilers.

Still another object ofthe inventlon'is to provide a safety device 'that will act as an auxiliary to the safety valve on boilers, the safety valve functioning only when the device fails to function.

Still a further'objeot of the invention is to provide a self contained apparatus that will reduce the intensity of the fire at a pressure slightly less than the adjustment of the usual safety valve, but which apparatus may be cut out at any time desired to permit the safety valve to function in the normal manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for maintaining a predetermined boiler pressure without danger of the usual safety valve functioning with a consequent loss of steam. Among the objects of the invention also is the provision of means for shutting off the fire without disturbing the adjustment of the manually operated valve, as may be desired, when for example, blowing out the burner, or in the case of an emergency when fire is beyond control. Further, among the objects of the invention is the saving of fuel by a saving of steam that might otherwise escape through the usual safety valve, and by relieving the fireman so that he can givev closer attention to maintaining an cilicient and safe water level in the boiler.

Numbered among the objects of the invention is also the provision of a device embodying a construction, combination and arrangement hereinafter more fully referred to, that may be installed with a minimum of alteration to present equipment.

Still further, it is an object of the invention to provide a device of the character above mentioned which is sufficiently simple in operation as to require no specialized or highly skilled labor to operate the same, other than now employed in firing with present equipment.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection Figure 2 is a view mostly in horizontal cross section through the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus with certain parts shown in section and Figures 4 and 5 are detail sectional views taken substantially on the lines 44 and 5--5 respectively of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that the apparatus comprises a valve casing I which embodies a pair of integral cylinders including a cylinder 2 of relatively small diameter and a cylinder 3 of relatively larger diameter. Further the invention comprehends the provision of a piston mounted for reciprocation within the casing I and including a pair of integral sections consisting of a piston 4 operating within cylinder 2 and a larger piston 5 operating within cylinder 3. Each of the pistons as shown are provided with suitable packing rings and are also provided with reduced portions 6 and 1 respectively.

For the casing I there is threaded into the casing at one end of the cylinder 3 a cap 5 into which is tapped one end of a T 9.

For the relatively opposite end of the casing I there is threaded into the end of the cylinder 2 a plug I equipped with a gland structure I I for accommodating an adjustment rod I2 which has a portion threaded in the bore of the plug It as at I3. By axially adjustingthe rod I2 the stroke of the pistons 4 and is regulated at will.

At one side thereof the cylinder 2 has tapped into the wall thereof one end of a pipe I4 which leads, in the present instance, from the manifold of a conventional high pressure atomizer controlled by the fireman in the usual manner. Also tapped into the same side of the cylinder 2 is a pipe I5 of smaller diameter and this pipe I5 leads from the steam manifold of the low pressure atomizer.

Steam entering the cylinder 2 from the pipes I4 and I5 pass from the cylinder when the piston valve 4 is in open position through ports 16 provided in the wall of the cylinder 2 as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4, and is conducted through the medium of a pipe I1 to the burner atomizer of the boiler.

Oil from a manually operable firing valve (not shown) enters the cylinder 3 through a port I 3, being conducted from the manually operating firing valve through the medium of a suitable pipe l9.

With the piston valve 5 at the open position, which is the position shown in Figure 2 the oil thus entering the cylinder 3 passes about or around the reduced portion 1 of the piston and exhaust from the cylinder 3 through an exhaust port I9 to be carried off throughthe medium of a pipe 20 to the oil section of the burner where the supply of oil to the burner is controlled by the fireman in the usual manner.

For venting the casing l and to prevent the accumulation of steam within the casing I between the adjacent ends of the pistons 4 and 5, said casing l is provided with a suitable vent port 2|.

For releasing pressure in chamber 22 provided at the outer end of the cylinder 3 the T-fitting 9 is provided with a vent port 23. i

The invention is also used in connection with a conventional diaphragm pressure regulating governor 24 which is connected as at 25 with the fitting 9 and is also connected at 26with the boiler (not shown).

Also the T 9 at the end thereof opposite to the diaphragm pressure regulating governor 24 has connected therewith a ball check valve assembly 2! of any suitable known construction.

The operationof the invention may be briefly described as follows:

Steam under pressure is conducted through the medium of the pipes l4 and I5 into the cylinder 2 from the high and low pressure atomizers respectively. As a result pistons 4 and 5 move as a unit to the position shown in Figure 2 uncovering ports l6 permitting the steam from the pipes l4 and to pass through the cylinder 2 and the pipe I! to the burner atomizer. Also with pistons 4 and 5 in this position oil from the usual firing valve passes into the cylinder 3 about the reduced portion 1 of the piston 5 and from the cylinder 3 passes through the pipe to the oil section of'the burner.

When steam in the boiler reaches a predetermined pressure the diaphragm pressure regulating governor 24 acts in response thereto to permit the steam from the boiler to pass through the T 9 into the chamber 22. As the pressure in chamber 22 builds up pistons 4 and 5 in response to this pressure move to the left in Figure 2 thus moving the reduced portion 1 of the piston 5 out of alinement with the ports l8 and I9 resulting in a cutting off of the flow of oil through the cylinder 3 and pipe 29 to the burner.

As the pressure in the boiler falls diaphragm pressure regulating governor 24 acts to cut off communication between the apparatus of the invention and the boiler and accumulated pressure in the chamber 22 escapes to the atmosphere through vent port 23 so that the pressure of steam in chamber 28 will now act against the piston 4 to move the piston to the position shown in Figure 2 to permit a resumption of fiow of oil to the burner.

When it is desired to cut out the automatic feature of the invention and allow the conventional safety valve to function, communication from the boiler to the diaphragm regulating governor 24 is cut off by a valve (not shown) placed in the line 26 within easy reach of the fireman. This will permit the apparatus to remain in open position.

When it is desired to blow out the burner without disturbing the adjustment of the manually operated firing valve and atomizer, a valve (not shown) arranged in a pipe (not shown) connecting the steam manifold of the burner with the check valve 21', is opened, allowing steam to raise the fall check valve and pass into chamber 22 for moving the pistons 5 and 4 to closed position. Under such condition steam is conveyed to the oil section of the burner by suitable branch conduit means (not shown).

It is to be understood that, while the invention as herein shown and illustrated is particularly intended for usein connection with boilers fired with oil, and particularly locomotive boilers, a relatively simple arrangement may be provided for firing boilers with gas or other combustiblematerial that may be conducted by pip- Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a two-diameter casing presenting a pair of alined cylinders one of which is of relatively small diameter and the other of which is relatively large diameter, one of said cylinders being provided at one side thereof with a pair of steam inlet ports, and at an opposite side thereof with circumferentially spaced outlet ports, and the largest cylinder being provided at one side thereof with an oil inlet port, and at the opposite side thereof with an oil outlet port, a pair of integral pistons mounted for reciprocation within said casing and including a smaller piston operating within the first named cylinder, and a larger piston operating in the second named cylinder, each of said pistons having a reduced intermediate portion, the reduced intermediate portion of the smallest piston adapted to aline with one of said steam intake ports, and said steam outlet ports when said pistons are at the terminus of one stroke thereof, and the smallest diameter of the largest piston adapted to aline with the oil inlet and outletports of the second cylinder when said pistons are at the terminus of their return strokes, a cap closing one end of said casing and the second named cylinder, a T fitting tapped into said cap, and a diaphragm pressure regulating governor and a check valve respectively connected by said T fitting in alinement one with the other.

2. A device of the character described comprising a two-diameter casing presenting a pair of alined cylinders one of which is'of relatively small diameter and the other of which is relatively large diameter, one of said cylinders being provided at one side thereof with a pair of steam inlet ports, and at an opposite side thereof with circumferentially spaced outlet ports, and the largest cylinder being provided at one side thereof with an oil inlet port, and. at the opposite side thereof with an oil outlet port, a pair of integral pistons mounted for reciprocation within said casing and including a smaller piston operating within the first named cylinder, and a larger piston operating in the second named cylinder, each of said pistons having a reduced intermediate portion, the reduced intermediate portion of the smallest piston adapted to aline'with one of said steam intake ports, and said steam outlet ports when said pistons are at the terminus of one stroke thereof, and the smallest diameter of the largest piston adapted to aline with the oil inlet and outlet port of the second cylinder when said pistons are at the terminus of their return strokes, a cap closing one end of said casing and the second named cylinder, a T fitting tapped into said cap, a diaphragm pressure regulating governor and a check valve respectively connected by said T fitting in alinement one with the other, a plug threaded into said casing at the end thereof remote from said cap, said plug being provided with a gland structure, and an adjusting spindle threadedly connected with said plug and axially adjustable relative to said plug for controlling the stroke of said piston.

FRANCIS R. RICHARD. 

